Death of the Perfect Girl

65- The Obsessed

     Mason sat beside Sadie, staring at Poppy like he usually did during their lunch break. She looked unhappy. Things for her had changed since their first few days in school. It was all visible by her lunch table. She had lost Jenna, then gained Fisher, then lost him. But Liam never left. Even the kids who sat around them before were sitting somewhere else. They couldn't have Sadie assuming they were friends with Poppy.

Liam sat with her looking at her with sympathy. He didn't seem to have words for her. He couldn't help her because he didn't know what Mason did. Mason knew everything about her. Things he wish he didn't know. Things that affected his relationship with Sadie.

Sadie looked at him then she glared at Poppy. "Are you serious?" She mumbled to him.

He looked at her. "What?"

"After everything she did to you?"

He rolled his eyes. "What has she ever done to me?" He looked at Poppy. "I hurt her-"

"Yeah. By deciding to date me? Mason, she's not interested. She clearly hates you. Especially if she thought that lying about you would keep you away."

Mason furrowed his brows. "Lying about me?" He looked at Sadie.

She shrugged and folded her arms. "When she said you tried to rape her."

Mason tilted his head and squinted his eyes. "Wha...how did you-"

"Charlotte. She believed Poppy and told me. I didn't believe her at all. Never doubted you a second."

Mason looked down, then he turned to Poppy again.

She was playing with her pizza.

He frowned. She loved pizza. She always had an appetite for it.

"If you still like her, it's because you're obsessed. Nothing more," Sadie turned away and resumed talking to her friends.

Mason frowned. He was obsessed with Poppy. He knew it. He was obsessed with getting her to forgive him.

*  *  *

Mason walked behind Poppy as she made her way down the sidewalk. He needed to speak to her. He know she hadn't really forgiven him. She needed it for herself and for him.

Poppy furrowed her brows feeling the stare behind her as she walked. She gulped thinking that maybe it was one of the footballers. She turned her head to side, recognized the form making his way towards her.

"Poppy," Mason frowned as he said her name.

She quickly turned to him. "Why are you following me?"

"I want to talk. I need to...I...I can't live with myself-"

"Good," Poppy blurted out. "Because I can't either. And you deserve that feeling more than I do."

Mason frowned. Tears filled his eyes. "I don't want us to feel this way. Charlie told me that forgiveness is the only way to feel comfortable when you're trying to change yourself."

Poppy froze. "You told Charlie?"

"He came to me."

"How did he know?"

Mason held his breath. "Sadie must have told him. Charlotte would never-"

"Wait. Sadie knows?"

"She...she told me today."

Poppy frowned. "Charlotte told her...," she shook head. "I can't trust anyone with anything."

"You used to trust me-"

"Yeah. I did. But you only listened because you thought you had to."

"Look...I can't forgive myself if you don't forgive me-"

"Okay. Then I guess you'll never be happy. Stop following me! Leave me alone!"

A red Toyota was driving up the road. It slowed down. The car stopped beside the side walk. The window rolled down. It was Noah. "Poppy?"

She looked at him wiping her cheeks.

"Is everything okay?"

"She's fine," Mason glared at him knowing that he was one of the boys who spread the rumor about Poppy. "Poppy, please."

Poppy glared at him then she walked over to the car and got in. She drove off with Noah.

Mason stood alone. He sulked. He really thought Poppy would forgive him. That's how she used to be. But she'd changed. She was angry. And so was he.